> Spending more money promoting gun safety would likely save lives

This is something I could fully get behind, and I believe it would have real positive effects for the general population.

I had the privilege to have grown up in a military family, and was active in Cub Scouts and then later Boy Scouts -- so I grew up around guns and was introduced at a very early age.

Gun safety needs to start early. In scouts, we had it beat into us how to treat a weapon, and how to be safe with one. It was taught the weapon was to be respected and treated as loaded even when you knew it was not.

Unfortunately, many gun owners don't have such training, and are unknowingly careless with their firearms. This includes people leaving loaded firearms in places where children can gain access, or showing off for their buddies, etc. Too often I've been at the local gun range and witnessed a new gun owner looking down the barrel or casually walking around with the gun's action closed and barrel "sweeping" bystanders. It's not their fault, they literally don't know any better... it's the lack of mandatory safety training (and at most ranges, you'll find staff and customers alike harshly coming down on these offenders in attempt beat into them some core safety rules).

Gun ranges are actually good examples of gun safety done right (most of the time). In the rare occasion where I've felt unsafe around a fellow shooter, the range staff have taken quick action. In general, even with all the guns at a gun range, it's one of the safest places to be around firearms.